Imayo Genji 今様げんじ / Miyashima senchu asobi 宮しま船中遊

A print from the series "Imayo Genji" — a "contemporary Genji" production updating the eleventh-century Tale of Genji scenarios to Meiji-era settings — combined with a scene of entertainment on a boat at Miyashima. The "Imayo Genji" genre was popular throughout the Meiji period, translating the romantic scenarios of the classic novel into contemporary settings that allowed audiences to see themselves in the roles of the ancient courtiers. Miyashima's famous floating torii gate setting adds scenic grandeur to the social entertainment depicted.